New Danger and Old Foes
by CammyHelena
Summary: The son of Katniss and Peeta ends up getting kidnapped by a gang of slavers who plan to take him far off to sell him to the highest bidder. He is then thrown in with a girl from another foreign land. Does he trust her? and what is she hiding?
1. Kidnapped

**A/N: This is my first Hunger Games Fanfic, so be constructive with the criticism. Please review. It's not very long but I need to know if this is of interest of any people before I take a lot of time to fully develop the characters.  
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_My name is Payson Mellark, I am the son of the Mockyingjay and Boy with Bread, I am 15 years old, I suck at hunting and baking, I am good at singing and painting, I am currently kidnapped by outsiders from a different land, this sucks._

**Payson POV**

I was walking through the forest checking my mother's snares. She was back in town showing other children how to hunt. I failed a few years ago when my mother basically gave up. My father tried to teach me how to bake but it didn't work out either. I do decorate his cakes but I can't work an oven if my life depended on it. Luckily my younger sister covered both departments. She is a great hunter like mom, she can bake and decorate cakes like dad, and she's strong and out going for a 12 year old.

My mother really loves her, she loves me too but she feels more of a connection with my sister than me. She looks more like dad with her blonde curly hair and her blue eyes. I have blue eyes but my mom's hair. I keep it short so it stays out of my eyes when I bake. My dad and I have a good relationship but not as strong as my mom and my sister. I do love my mom but I want to be closer to her. I am not as out-going as my sister and I don't talk a lot. My dad says I'm just like my mom but I don't see it at all.

I hear my dad sometimes ask my mom if I could have personal time with her but she doesn't know what to do. Since I am heavy footed, I tend to scare game. I can't even set up a snare. Uncle Gale teases me that I am too much of a rich boy, coming from the man who is CEO in district 2. My mom and I just don't know what to do with each other. Recently she decided to let me help her check snares, you can't scare already dead game.

Anyway, I was walking through the thick forest when I saw a snare that wasn't supposed to be there. My mom has regulations in our town of who can trap and who can't, after the game started to disappear. Like the idiot I am I tried to pick it up.

It turned out to be a human trap… A HUMAN TRAP. I realized this when I was hanging in the trees in a net. My level of intelligence will be the death of me.

"This can't be good" I tried to reach for my knife but couldn't reach it. This net was just simple rope but it was hard to move in. Who ever made this had skills in tying nets. Thought they could have at least made it more comfortable.

Then I started to hear howling. I looked to see if any wild dogs were in the area but I only saw a young child, probably only a few years younger than me. He had a lot of dirt on his face and was wearing old pants and a ripped up shirt. He didn't seemed to be very clean either. Probably hasn't washed up in a few weeks. He appeared to be chewing something in his mouth as he walked up closer to me. He viewed me from all angles and lowered the net a bit to lower me to his level.

"We got you good dog" He said. I stared in confusion. Were these people from the Capitol? Were these people that my mom said fought against her in the war? My parents told me that this might happen but I always thought they were worry warts. Trying to protect me in a world of no danger.

"Who are you?" I said. They just laughed and started poking me with sticks. I winched at the pain because their sticks were more like spears and they were sharp. I could think of tons of other places than this to be.

"Stop" I heard. I opened my eyes and saw a very strong man. He had a thick patch of black facial hair and tons of muscles, defiantly more than my dad. He looked like he was in his early 30s but has seen plenty of battles. There was a huge scar on his face. I would rather take on the kids then this guy.

"Who are you stranger?" he asks with his arms cross. I could tell that he didn't trust me and I doubt that he would trust what I was to say.

"My name is Payton Mellark, I'm from district 12, the town just a few yards from here, I won't tell anyone you're here as long as you let me go" he just laughed and loosened the bag to let me down but still trapped in the net. He then placed me on a wagon.

He started to pull me further away from town and further away from familiar hunting grounds. I looked up to see that the sun should be setting down in a few hours and my mom and dad will be getting worried. I started to hope that they will send a search party soon. But they probably won't start that till I'm gone after sunset.

My dad will try to convince my mom that I'm just walking around, but she will try to tell him that I've been kidnapped by Snow even though he's dead. Dad will try to remind her that he is dead and so is Coin (who ever that is) but she won't believe him. Dad will get frustrated and they usually start yelling at this point. I know this because when I was 10 years old, I left a note saying that I ran away and I hid in the closet to see their reaction. When they started yelling I jumped out and started crying because I was assuming that they would get a divorce. They comfort me and I did get in some trouble but they were just glad they were safe.

My sister still goes around telling people that my parents had a fight because I came out of the closet to this day. I ignore her tries to be funny but people at school don't.

Suddenly we stopped and more people started to surround me. Their language was different from mine and I had no idea in what they were saying. They just looked at me with some paper writing down what ever they saw. I just sat still, not wanting to know what they were going to do with that paper. I was then thrown in a small cage with a girl and locked up.

"You'll make us some pretty coin when we get back home" the strong man said before leaving into a tent. I wasn't sure what he was talking about, but I was sure that he wasn't talking about my home. At this point I am seriously thinking that these people are enemies of my mom from the war. I probably shouldn't have told them my last name. One of the other thousand mistakes I made, just today.

I took a breath and looked around and saw that this cage was built very well. It was metal and cold. It was spring so the nights were also as cold as the cage. It also had wheels and it didn't allow me to stand, only kneel. I looked for a blanket or something to keep warm but there wasn't much. I didn't know how they kept their prisoners alive in a thing like this. At least I hope they try to keep them alive.

I looked at the girl who was in the corner and saw that she hadn't moved since they left. She had her knees bend and covered her face. She had a bunch of scares on her legs and only cloth rapped around her feet for shoes.

"Hey" I said. She looked up at me which allowed me to see her better. She had medium length black hair, really pretty grey eyes, tan skin, and scars covering her arms and chest. Her face seemed to be intact but there was pain in her eyes as well as fear. I couldn't help but fear that I will soon look at others like she is looking at me. She looked my age but her body looked a bit more mature. If I saw her at school (without the scares) I would probably look twice.

"Are you ok" she asked, snapping out of my thoughts. "Yeah, I'm fine but could you tell me who these people are?" she took a few deep breaths and moved closer to me. She was wearing a torn up skirt that hit her mid calf and a white T-shirt as well. She looked towards the outside of the cage to the tents.

"These people are from lands farther than yours, they own people and sell them to others for work or labor. They tend to only get children but they don't care if the child is 5 or 16. They go through new lands and then bring back their game to their land to sell to the highest bidder" I didn't know how to respond. Her voice wasn't normal and it wasn't from the Capitol. It was different, but really pretty.

"These people have no honor or conscience; they feel neither pain nor joy. They only care about money and how to get it" She then backed up to the back wall of the cage, pulling her knees up and started to cry. I looked at the tents of the people who kidnapped me and this girl.

"What are you looking at dog?" a bunch of kids gathered in front of the cage and stared. I just looked at all the kids and wonder if they were kidnapped from their homes at a young age or if they were the children of these people. Most of them looked like the first one, dirty. None of them had any really muscle or looked really tough.

"Looks like he's too dumb to know who he's looking at guys" the rest laugh as I stayed quiet. "Maybe you should teach him Puffer" I then started to laugh. "Puffer? What girly name is that?".

Now, I probably asked for what happen next. The kid named Puffer did not like that I laughed at him and decided to reach threw the cage and tried to choke me.

"Laugh at my name again dog, and I will personally make you my bitch" he said and I nodded. He let me go and also took some of my pride. They left, having their entertainment for the day, to get ready for dinner. It wasn't much for us, just some half cooked meat. The girl nodded me not to eating and I followed her direction.

The sky became orange and I started to think of home. My dad mostly, this was his favorite color and he would spend hours trying to get the paint to match it, my mom sitting next to him, watching him paint, and my sister humming a song. I usually draw in my own book and then joined the family in watching dad finish his next master piece. My stomach growled and I remembered that it was Friday, that meant that it was my choice in dinner, cheesy bread. I knew what I had to do.

"Well, looks like we need to get out of here" the girl looked at me in shock as I smirked. "I'm the son of a very stubborn woman and I refuse to be sold off as if I was a piece of meat". "I am the daughter of people with common sense, escaping right now doesn't fall under common sense" I roll my eyes.

"Everyone's a critique".

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><p><strong>AN: Please write a review! I would like to know if you like it so far. Feedback on the characters would be great. Trust me, this is just a preview of what I have to offer!  
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	2. Escape

**A/N: I figured that this chapter will help determine if this would be interesting or worth writing. PLEASE REVIEW! I need to know if this is worth it!**

**Payson POV**

"How would we get out anyway?" she asked and crawled towards me. "Now you're interested?" she glared at me and I just smiled back. I looked at the hinges and saw that they were rusted.

"See the rust?" she nodded and started to smile, which was kinda pretty. "Gottcha" she said.

"There are still guards and others up, we will have to wait till they are all asleep" I said.

"I have a better idea, tomorrow is the full moon and they don't like to be seen, so all of them will go to sleep the moment the sun goes down"

"But that means we have to stay here for a whole day" she nodded. "I know but it's our best chance, if we do escape then we want to make sure we can get really far before they realize we are gone" she was right but I didn't like it. "Fine, but I'm cold" I look at her and she doesn't follow. I gave her a hug and she pushed me away.

"Hey, what was that for" I said. "I could say the same thing about you. We just met and you're trying to take advantage of me, how rude" She said. I roll my eyes.

"I meant that we can sleep huddled up, you pervert" I smirked. She hits my arm but agrees. She takes a long piece of cloth and lays it on the ground of the cage. Both of us huddle together facing each other. We aren't close as in touching but the warmth of our bodies still keeps us warm.

"Do you think we can escape tomorrow night" she asked.

"Is my mom the Mockingjay?" I said with little thought.

"Your mom is a bird?" she asked. I had to laugh at her response. I guess since she's from a foreign land, she wouldn't know who my mom is.

"Sorry where I come from she's pretty famous and that's what they call her, the Mockingjay"

"Oh, can I meet her?" She asked.

"I guess, but don't you want to go home?" she shrugged and pointed towards the wall. There were small tick marks on the wall.

"There are six tick marks, six months I've been in this cage, six months of travel, I kept track by watching the moon" she then made eye contact with me and shivered. I reached out and rubbed her arm.I could feel all the scares and the differences of thickness.

My mom is covered in scars and so is my dad. I admire them for their scares; it was like they were telling the world that 'no matter what happens, I'll get through it'. They are stronger than me. They would probably smash through this camp and show them that no one messes with the Mockingjay rebels. I wish I had their strength and courage.

The girl fell asleep after I calmed her down. She looked peaceful and I smiled. It wasn't long till I joined in. I even had a dream.

I was in my house with my sister baking some cheesy bread. I was decorating a cake when mom and dad came in with big smiles. They twirled around before dad came to give me a pat on the back for my cake. Mom kissed my cheek and my sister's as well. All of us laugh at dad's jokes. Mom shows me how to skin a rabbit and my sister puts out all the dishes for dinner.

* * *

><p>The dream didn't last long; I was woken up by my new friend. The wannabe tribe started to cook breakfast and I was hungry. That was when I notice that they put some juice form a bottle only in our dishes.<p>

"That is a juice that makes you sleep for days, I don't think we need that today" I moan a bit. I'm not use to skipping meals. My mom yells at me if I don't eat a whole plate of food. "When I get home, I am going to have my sister bake a giant cake and I'm going to eat the whole thing" I said. The girl giggled and I sat next to her in the back of the cage.

"I haven't had a cake before, what does it taste like?" she asks. This is probably the hardest question I've been asked.

"Well, it's amazing actually, it's like the sunset on the perfect day in your mouth" she leaned on me and smiled. "Sounds delicious, could I eat some cake when I meet your mother?" I smile and lay my head on hers.

"Yeah, my dad is a genius with cake and painting"

"Really? What are you good at?" I really did not like this question. I have a problem trying to compare myself with my parents and even my sister.

"Nothing really, I can draw and I sometimes decorate the cakes but I'm nothing compared to my parents"

"Well, stop comparing to your parents" I laughed at how simple it sounds.

Everyday people at school compare me to my mother and father. My grades are average, my athletics are average, and my social skills suck. I have the hardest time making friends; I just work at the bakery after school or help my mom teach hunting and archery. Usually I just grab equipment and make sure everything is put away.

"If it was that easy I probably would have done it already" I replied. She shrugged and just stayed close. I really didn't mind how close she was to me until she started to trace circles on my arm. It was a strange feeling, it wasn't a feeling I knew and it was a little weird.

"Hey, new dog, it's time to see the leader" He grabbed my arm and pulled me out. I smiled at the girl and she smiled back. He lead me to a bigger tent but it looked like it was going to come down any second. On the inside were two young women in what looked like bathing suits. The man in the middle looked like he was about to die any minute.

"Hello young man, how are you today?" I just stood still. I didn't want to answer and I didn't want to give him the joy that I cared.

"I don't like it when people don't answer" that's when I got hit in the back with a stick. The stick broke and I fell to the ground. I stood back up and looked at the man.

"How are you today?" I went to open my mouth but was cut off.

"Why are we wasting time" said Puffer. I giggled a bit remembering his name. He instantly went for my ribs. Of course I fell to the ground again.

"He is insulting to our group and should be put down" he not only talks to me worse than a dog but even treats me worse than a dog.

"Relax young one, he is the son of the Mockingjay, do you know the least amount we can sell him for?" everyone just looked at each other and shook their heads.

"Enough to buy mansions for the whole tribe, the master's themselves would probably love to see him dance on fire" everyone started to cheer while I just stood sat on the ground holding my stomach.

"Calm down, don't celebrate till we get him back home, now take him back to the cage, we move out tomorrow" everyone nodded and bowed and I was taken back to the cage.

"Looks like it went well" the girl said. I gave her thumbs up and leaned against the side wall. She moved towards me and lifted my shirt.

"I'm not in the mood" I smirked. She glared but shrugged it off. The minute she touched my stomach I flinched.

"You should be fine, but I need to try something, do you trust me?" She looked up at me asking for permission.

"Alright" she reaches in her shirt and pulls out some berries. She crushes them up and rubs them on my stomach and sang quietly.

_ Berries of my mother_

_ Please help my new brother_

_ Make him strong and well_

_ And work your magic spell_

The berries started to glow a bit and my stomach suddenly felt better. I look at my stomach and her with wide eyes. I couldn't form words but I think she was able to understand.

"I told you that I come from a different land" she giggled. She sits down next to me as I try to comprehend what happened.

"Look, these berries were genetically engineered in my land to work when one uses the correct frequency, my mom made up a song to go with it so I could remember the right notes, so it's not that weird" I wasn't really following but it made the pain go away without morphine so it was fine. It was probably the least of my worries.

"You know, I told you about my family, why don't you tell me about yours?" She shrugged and looked at me. "I don't really know what's to tell, my father sold me to help pay for my younger sisters and brothers after my mother died. He felt bad but it was either this or starvation, they got enough gold to get plenty of seeds for they harvest, he told me that if I got away that I can never come back because if I did, the slavers would find me and torch the house down. So even if I do escape, I wouldn't know where to go"

"You can live with me" I offered.

"Really?" she said with skepticism. "Your family would drop everything for a girl who barely knows where she is and her 'magical' berries" I didn't answer but she turned over.

"I'm going to get some sleep, the slavers said that there might be a storm so I suggest you should get some rest as well" I nodded and layed next to her.

"You know, if you do live with me, I'll even let you sleep with me in my bed" I said.

"Not going to happen city boy" I laughed and so did she.

* * *

><p>Both of us waited till it was really dark and a storm started to form. When the thunder started I knew this was a good time to escape. Both of us lift the door and it fell off without waking anyone up. We quickly sneaked out of the main part of camp without much to worry about.<p>

I looked behind me to see that the girl wasn't there. I looked around and saw her stealing a bow and a quiver of arrows from the big strong guy from earlier. I waved my arms to get her attention but she started to steal his gold as well. That's when I walked back to her and grabbed her by the arm.

"Hey, come on, I have plenty of that at my house" I whispered. She nodded and followed with her new weapons. I grabbed a knife from a table and we started to walk through the woods. The storm started to quiet down and we walked a bit faster to further distance ourselves from the camp.

"Glad that's over" she said. I looked at her and notice that the moon made her eyes glow a bit. It's good that it's dark because she probably would have seen me blushing. I wonder what she looks like outside of a cage and in clean dresses. I shook the thought out of my head and replied.

"Yeah, what did you say about what the slavers do?" I asked and she nodded.

"They take kids from distant places and sell them for easy gold. Usually they are put to work in the fields and work endless days as farmers. Some are forced to fight in a small cage for entertainment" It sounded a bit familiar, too familiar. It was as if I was told this all before.

"When did that start?" I asked.

"Probably 20 years ago, a bunch of men came and started this, soon they gathered followers and it got to this" I knew who those men were. Well, I had a good idea who those men could be.

"Do you know anything about the Hunger Games?" I asked her. She nodded no and looked at me hoping for a description.

"It was a long time ago, my mom was about my age when they ended but it was about 20 years ago"

"What were they?" I almost didn't want to answer her. It was my fault for bringing it up and she was now curious.

"Well, an evil man named Snow would pick two children from every district, out of 12, and force them to fight each other. There was a rebellion and they won which ended the Games for good". She looked at the ground as we walked and wasn't as focused on anything else.

"That sounds purely awful, the cage fights only have a couple people and their usually 17 or 18" we made eye contact and I could see the sadness.

"My older brother was forced to fight, even though he died, we still got enough gold to survive that winter" I gave her a hug and we continued to walk. I didn't know where were and had no clue of where we were going. I came up with an idea and pointed to the trees.

"We can see better if we climb the trees. Don't want to get lost and end up back at camp" she nodded and both of us climbed the trees. It was harder than I thought but she seemed to have no problems. When we reached the top we sat on the branches and looked around.

"There's smoke from over there" she pointed and I smiled.

"That's my home town, it's looks like its close" the wind became strong and she latched to me. I flinched at the closeness we had. I had to calm my breathing before I could speak.

"Are you ok? Um…." I paused as I realized I have never asked for her name. "What's your name by the way?" she looked up at me and blushed a bit "it's a stupid name" I laughed a bit and nudged her. "That doesn't tell me what it is". "What's your name, she asked". "It's Payson, Payson Mellark" She just stayed silent for a bit. I looked up at the sky which is now clear and tried to calculate how far home was. "Make up a name for me" she said. I was taken back a bit but smiled. I thought about it but nothing came to mind.

"Alright, I will but I won't tell you what it is till we get to my house" she smiled and we climbed down the tree with a destination and motivation to get home.

When we reached the ground I could hear howling and barking. It was coming from the deeper part of the woods.

"It's the slavers" she said in panic. Both of us ran towards district 12. The barking seemed to get louder and louder even as we ran. I had never been so afraid in my life.

"COME BACK HERE DOGS" I hear. I start to panic till I realize that I am familiar with the area.

"I know where we are" I tell her. She nods and follows closely and grabs my hand. I start to hear my name being called and I run faster.

"MOM" I yell.

"PAYSON" I hear and I see her. I wanted to cry but I had to hold it in. I then saw Uncle Haymitch and Dad as well. I have never been so glad to see a drunken man and a baker in my life.

"HELP" the girl cried. My mom drew her bow and dad grabbed us and ran back to town. I heard my mom let go of her arrow and landed in the heart of one of the slavers. All of us made it back home and I started to catch my breathe.

* * *

><p>My mom caught up and slammed the door.<p>

"Payson, where were you, what is going on, who is she" my mom went on and on till my dad was able to calm her down.

"Mom, I was kidnapped by slavers, and this is um…" I still didn't come up with a name for her. She just looked at me in fear. She was just the girl of Mystery but could sing really well. She was a healer and spoke kind of weird.

"Her name is Amaya" I looked at her for approval and she smiled.

"Yeah, I was also kidnapped by the slavers" she said.

"That's a pretty name, Dad why didn't you name me Amaya?" My sister whined.

"Because we named you Lydia, now please get the first aid kit" my dad said in frustration. My sister rolled her eyes and went up stairs to the bathroom. All of us sat in the kitchen. I didn't want to talk.

"Tell me what happened Payson" she said. I could tell she was stressed and scared. I didn't want to stress her out even more so I told her everything from the net to when both Amaya and I climbed the tree. Amaya informed them about the slavers and what they do. I watch my mother's and father's reaction. They were really focused on what she had to say.

"They are not something to take lightly, I've seen children from your districts in the auctions before so they have been here for a while, but I can't tell you how long" my mom grabbed my dad's hand. She looked like she was about to have a panic attack.

"Peeta, we need to call Paylor tomorrow and tell them what happened. We can't risk it if they come back" My mom got up and wrote on the white board of 'task to do' to remind her to call tomorrow.

"Payson, come here" mom said. I walked towards her and she hugged me. I hugged back, but for her not me. "I will protect you" she whispered in my ear. "I know you will mom" I said. She released me and straightened my hair. "I guess you two are tired, Payson could you show your new friend the guest room. I'm sure she would like to freshen up" dad said. I nodded and grabbed her hand. She smiled at my dad and mom as we exited.

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><p>"Your mother seems nice" she said.<p>

"She is… Amaya" she laughs. "Will you ever tell me your name?" I asked. She shook her head.

"My own father didn't even know my name, my mother took care of me but when she died, I went to live with my father. He had another family and I soon became another mouth to feel"

"I'm sorry" I said. I opened the door and showed her the bathroom. My mom walked in with clothes in her arms.

"I hope these fit, they were my old pajamas from when I was younger" mom said.

"Be careful, they may turn to dust on you" I said, mom smacked me on the back of my head and put the clothes on the sink in the bathroom.

"Thank you so much, I don't know what to say"

"Don't, in my experience, no words can be the perfect thing to say" my mom smiled and called me to follow him. I gave Amaya a hug and followed my mom.

"Payson, what's her story?" She asked in the kitchen as dad put away dishes.

"She said that she was sold by her father to the slavers and that if she goes home, their find her and punish the family"

"I haven't dealt with things like this since the war, but we will help her" I hugged my mom and thanked her. Dad gave me a hug and then told me to go to bed.

**A/N: Please review and favorite!**


	3. Just Like Your Mother

**Payson POV**

I woke up to a beautiful sunrise, telling me that it's time to get ready for work. It's been a few days since the incident and its spring break. I get dressed and run down stairs to an empty kitchen.I open the fridge and grabbed the pancake mix my dad made for us for when I get up earlier than everyone else.

I made probably the best pancakes I've ever made in my life and start on the scrambled eggs. I place the pancakes in the oven to keep them warm till everyone wakes all the food is cooked, I place the table and Amaya is the first to greet me this morning.

"Hey, how did you sleep?" she asked.

"Alright, you?" she gave me the thumbs up and I nodded. She sat at her now official chair and I grabbed the food and placed it in the middle.

"You made all this?"

"I do admit I am pretty awesome at pancakes and eggs" I say. She took two pancakes and some eggs. I poured her some orange juice and sat across from her. I was just glad that she was eating and looking better.

"Morning Payson, morning Amaya" my sister said as she yawned to her seat.

"What's on the schedule today?" Lydia asked.

"Well, I'm probably going to work with dad in the bakery" I replied

"I'm going to head over to Gramp's house and help with the Geese" Lydia said.

"What is a geese?" Amaya asked.

"More like what are geese" my dad said. He sat and the table and mom followed suit. Both had messy hair and looked like their nightmares are back. I just looked at them; they don't know that I know. My sister just keeps eating and ignores the signs. She knows it's wrong to ask and Amaya has no clue.

"Their annoying birds that serve no purpose but to be eaten or chase other people" mom said. All of us laugh and just continue eating. I put away dishes and Amaya cleaned the table.

"Ready for a day of work?" she nodded and we left. Looking at the new buildings and the school remind me of the pictures my mom showed me of how it use to look. It was dark but now it's all light, the sidewalk was clean with a tree every few yards. Cars rushed by filled with people. Houses were colorful and the families here were nice. When you get downtown, you see more businesses. There's a butcher, a grocery store, boutique my sister always drags us to, dress shops, and of course the bakery.

"How long have I been here now?" she asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Three days now, do you enjoy it here?" I asked. She nodded and then reached for my hand. That feeling of her holding my hand brought that weird feeling in my gut. I wasn't sure what it was but it felt nice.

I look at her and see that her hair has been brushed and her skin is nice and clean. She is wearing a puffy sleeved blouse and a pair of jeans. She looks so normal and yet her accent is still a bit different than mine.

"Why do your cheeks turn red when I hold your hand?" she asked. My cheeks turned redder and she began to laugh. I combed my hair with my other hand and took a deep breath.

"To tell you the truth I don't know, but I would like to know why you keep holding my hand" I said.

"I feel a bit safer" she whispered in my ear. We made it to the bakery before I could reply.

* * *

><p>"What do you want to make today Amaya?" Mike asked. He's one of the employees of my dad. He usually cooks the pastries and pies. He's a bit of a ladies man but he's cool.<p>

"I don't know, Payson" she looked at me and I stopped to look at her. The flour on her tan skin and her grey eyes looking at me made me speechless. I could feel

"What is your favorite pie?" she asked.

"Chocolate mousse" my dad said. I just nodded and continued decorating.

"Alright, teach me to make a chocolate mousse pie" she said to Mike and he nodded with a smile. I'm not sure why he was smiling but it also brought a smile to my dad's face.

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><p><strong>Peeta's POV<strong>

I smiled when I saw the blush on Payson's face when Amaya asked for his favorite flavor of pie. I could see there is something there between them but I don't say anything. That's when I get a great idea.

"Mike can I ask you a couple questions up front?" I ask. He looks at me with confusion but follows me to the front of the store.

"You've seen how Payson and Amaya have been acting all cute right?" I raised my eyebrow.

"What you mean Payson and Amaya blushing every time they say each other's name?" I nodded and smiled even bigger knowing I wasn't the only one noticing this.

"Yeah, I have a plan. I want you to get kind of 'close' to Amaya; you know flirt with her a bit. I just want to see how Payson reacts" he smiles and nodded.

"Don't over do it! I don't want anyone to leave here with bruises and cuts, I just want to you know... speed things up" he just nodded.

"This is going to be good" he said before me goes back and I stay upfront with the customers.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Payson's POV<span>**

When Mike got back from talking to dad, he started to sweet talk Amaya. I tried to ignore it the best I could but it was getting to me. He was standing behind her and grabbed her hands as he showed her how to mix the mousse _just right_. Seeing her turn red made me sick. I had to finish this cake because the customer would be coming in at any second but it was hard.

"There must be something wrong with my eyes Amaya" he said. I know this line. He uses it on all the pretty girls who walk into the store. If he even continued it, I will probably stuff this bag of frosting down his throat.

"Why do you say that Mike?" Amaya asked. Here it comes…

"Cause I just can't take my eyes off of you" I wanted to barf right there on the cake. I can't believe she fell for it. It seems so cheap and cheesy. She giggled which made it worse. I couldn't believe she found something like that funny. Does she like guys like that?

I accidentally squeezed the bag too much and there was frosting all over the side of the cake.

"Don't get your panties in a twist Payson" Mike said. I could have taken a knife and kill him on the spot. I was so angry I didn't know how to react. I stood up from my stool. Amaya just looked at me in confusion. I felt guilty for letting her see me like this.

"I'm fine, just got distracted" I said.

"By what?" He then wrapped his arms around Amaya. She blushed "Mike…Wh-what are you doing?" she said.

"She looks uncomfortable Mike, let her go" I said. He just shook his head and continued to hold her.

"I said let her go" I demanded this time. He let her go and she just stood still. I went back to the cake to clean up my mess.

"Where were we Amaya?" Mike said with a "charming" voice.

"We were going to make the cinnamon crust" she said. He nodded and got the ingredients.

After I fixed and finished the cake, I gave it to dad. He was happy with the end result. I smiled and started on decorating some cookies.

"Payson" Amaya called my name and I felt calm. I looked and saw that she finished the pie. It looked delicious and I couldn't wait to eat it.

"Looks great Amaya" My dad said.

"I even put black sprinkles on the whip cream to match your hair and blue ones to match your eyes" she said proudly. I just smiled.

"We make a good team don't we Peeta?" Mike said. I almost forgot about him. I kind of wish I had. My dad just nodded and as he turned to put the pie on a shelf, Mike kissed Amaya's cheek. I jumped up and accidentally bumped into dad who dropped the pie. The whole thing fell on the floor and so did the peace.

"Shit the pie" my dad said.

"Look what you did now twinkle toes" Mike said. I glared.

"Shut up!" I said to Mike.

"Calm down Payson, we can make another one" dad said as he cleaned the whip cream from his apron and Amaya nodded in agreement. I just bolted out of the store. I didn't want to listen to any of them anymore. I could hear them scream my name but I just kept running.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Peeta's POV<span>**

Payson's reaction wasn't what I expected. I feel like I should have known better than to ask Mike to flirt with Amaya, he's really close to their age and he tends to overdo everything. I couldn't run after Payson because my leg was aching just trying to run out the store.

"PAYSON" I yelled but I didn't see him anywhere. It was still the afternoon and I figure he will be going to the meadow to cool down.

"I think that worked a little too well boss" Mike said. I slapped him on the back of the head and told him to close shop. Amaya ran out and gave me a hug.

"He's going to be ok right?" she whimpered. I felt horrible about what I told Mike to do. I sometimes can be as impulsive as my wife. However, it looks like Payson has inherited her solution for all problems.

"Yeah, he should be fine. He just needs to cool off a bit" I went inside to call Katniss, I figured that she should be finished hunting.

"Hello?" it was Lydia.

"Hey is your mother there?" I asked.

"No, she left an hour ago to go hunt with Uncle Gale and Cousin Zach" I relaxed. If Katniss is out in the woods, she'll probably run into Payson. So I told Lydia that I would be home soon and I closed the store.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Payson's POV<span>**

As I sat by the lake, I began to calm down and thought about what happened. It was my fault that the pie Amaya made for me fell to the ground and all over dad's chest. I felt guilty. But I was made at Mike.

"What gives him the right to kiss her?" I asked out loud. I stood up and started skipping stones. I was just so frustrated with everything.

But I don't even know why I care so much. Why does the fact that Mike kissing Amaya on the cheek bother me? He does it to tons of girls, every year during the Rebellion festival he has a kissing booth to help earn money for the schools.

But it was different with Amaya; he probably didn't even think much of it either. To him Amaya is just another girl. This angered me even more than just him kissing her. I was trying to protect her. That's what it is. She's been through a lot and I was protecting her from a womanizer.

Having cleared that up I started to head towards home, until I fell into a hole. It was another trap. This time, it was a legal one. It had a permit on the side and it was signed by my mom. Luckily it had no spikes or anything. I yelled but no one came. I decided to just sit down and wait for someone to find me. Then I heard howling. I stuck to the wall and didn't say a word. But it was already too late.

"Hey dog, didn't think to find you here" was all I heard before I was hit in the head with a rock.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Peeta's POV<span>**

It was getting late and Katniss, Gale, Zach, and Payson weren't home yet. I went into my painting room to calm my nerves and relaxed. When I heard the back door opened I ran to the kitchen. It was Katniss with a big smile on her face as she dragged a full bag of game to the table. Gale and Zach were behind her but I didn't see Payson at all.

"What's wrong Peeta? Never seen a whole bag before? It's just like in the old days" she was about to go on but I interrupted.

"Did you see Payson?" I asked in panic. Katniss looked at me and shook her head.

"No, I thought he was at the bakery with you" she said.

"He was but something happened and he ran off to the woods, Lydia said that you were in the woods with Gale and I assumed that he would run into you" I rushed through the sentence and Katniss began to panic.

"Peeta, we haven't found the slavers yet, they could still be out there" Katniss yelled.

"Shit" was all I said.

"What slavers?" asked Gale.

"We don't have time, call everyone and get a search party ready. It's late and we need to find him before anyone else will" I said. Everyone nodded their head in agreement.

"I think it's too late" said a voice; I turned around and saw that it came from Amaya. Katniss marched up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eye.

"Why do you say that" Katniss hissed. She was pissed and scared.

"I left a bit ago to go to the woods but I saw tracks leading away from here" Amaya said with tears.

"The tracks were thick, their equipment is usually carried by the adults so the only time the tracks are thick is if they are hauling…"

"A child" I finished. She nodded and a few tears escaped. Katniss let go of Amaya and fell to her knees.

"No, no. we fought for all this to be over, to never fear that our children would be taken away from us" Katniss cried. I kneeled beside her and pulled her close.

"I promise you that we will find him and he will be here with us" I said.

"I think I know where they will be going" Amaya said. Everyone looked at her and we waited for her to speak again.

"Since they have him, they will probably be heading home. Payson told me that their leaders would pay a lot to have a child of the Mockingjay" she said. It was like the war never ended. It has been so long since my wife has been referred as the Mockingjay.

"We have to track them down and get Payson back" Gale said. We might have our differences but he has been respectful to my kids, probably because their also Katniss'.

"Gale's right, instead of a search party, we need a few people to help stop these slavers before they get to where they're going" I said. Katniss nodded and all of us left to gather people and supplies for the journey ahead.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Getting a bit more action in this one, the next chapter will have more. I just wanted to get the characters introduced and get a feel with how the districts have changed.**


	4. The Great City of Keme

**A/N: So here we are again, continuing the story of Katniss's son Payson. This one has a bit more violence in it and some new characters that I think you guys will like. I don't want to spoil anything so I'll just let you read it. R&R**

* * *

><p><strong>Payson's POV<strong>

I woke up in a box, but it was small. I couldn't move at all. So it seemed more like a coffin. I tried to move but I was also tied down. I was now panicking. I couldn't hear anything but my own breath. There was only darkness; I couldn't even see my feet. I am hyperventilating.

Suddenly the box opened and a bunch of light flooded into my eyes. I was basically blinded as new noises came from the outside. I covered my eyes with my tied up hands but someone grabbed my arms and pulled me out.

"Get up dog" someone said. I looked up, now able to see what was around me. It was a small town. Not like home, it had only a few structures and they were made out of wood. But it seemed to be a desert. There seemed to be nothing but yellow ground and plains for miles. There were tumble weeds passing by. No woods, no flowers, just dirt. It looked so dead here.

There were other people around, and they weren't the slavers either. These men were clean and dressed up. They had sunglasses and ties. The guy with the beard and scar was talking to one of them. The other one just smirked at me. Two men had ropes around my neck and held tight enough to lift me up but not choke me to death.

"Here is the son of the Mockingjay, like I said" the beard man said. One of the suits grabbed my chin and turned my head to get a better look at me.

"He does have his father's eyes" I spat on his face and someone punched me in the gut. I did not miss this feeling.

"And his mother's spirit" he said as he wiped his face. I just glared at him.

"This is the real deal, now about payment" The suit just looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Payment" he began to laugh really loud and obnoxious. The other two suits laughed as well. The beard guy just got in the suit guys face.

"Listen, you give us our money or we kill him ourselves" the suit just smiled and shot the beard guy. Suddenly a bunch of suits came out of the building with large guns and a big truck came out of the distance.

"If anyone ask for payment again, they will share the same fate as this fool" The suit just pointed the man as he removed his sunglasses.

"No one objects? Good, then we will be on our way" The slavers drop the ropes and the suit pointed the gun in my face.

"To the car little chick" I move towards the car like he said. It was at least better than the box. The suit and his friends also got in the car and we all started to drive off.

"Too bad they lost out on the deal, I bet they must be suffering right now" He said as he reaches in his pocket.

"They'll live" I said without thinking.

"On the contrary" He pulled a remote out and pressed the button. A loud boom came from behind us. He just blew up the whole town with all the slavers and how knows who else. I looked back at him and he had the biggest and sickest smile on his face.

"Oops" he laughs.

I think I rather be in the box.

* * *

><p><strong>Peeta's POV<strong>

A few days of driving and everyone was tired. Amaya lead us south and outside the lands of Panem. Katniss was worried because the woods seemed to be non-existent here. There were just flat plains and few animals. I'm thankful we brought lots of food and hunted when we could.

Amaya said that we should be towards the town in the morning but I start to lose hope if we can make it in time.

"Where's the water here?" asked Gale.

"Deep in the ground, usually it takes a few days to dig deep enough to reach any" Amaya said,

"Is this where you come from?" Haymitch asked.

He was suffering from withdrawal because we didn't pack enough liquor for him. I told him to stay home to watch Lydia but Katniss's mother offered and Haymitch followed us.

"Not exactly, I grew up as a wanderer till my mother died, she would take me from place to place to trade" she said.

"How could anyone live in a place like this, there's nothing to hunt and it's hot as hell" Katniss pants.

"Well there are animals and you can hunt them, but they are different then animals in your land. One is a giant cat that has a long tail; I believe it's called a cougar, that's what you have to watch out for out here. There are also wild horses, eagles, and buffalo"

"What's a buffalo?" asked Gale.

"It's a giant animal that usually travel in packs, they are delicious but are hard to take down since they will fight to the death" Amaya said.

"Sounds like too much of a fight right now" said Johanna, Gale's wife. She was reluctant to come with us because she felt bad for leaving Zach at home with a nanny. She doesn't really trust others to care for her son.

"Not really, only a lot of skill, my mom was able to make a poison arrow that allowed for a fast kill. You would shoot the buffalo and after a few hours it would fall over dead" Amaya seems to be cool and calm. She wasn't sweating like the rest of us. She had her knees to her chest as we continued to drive. The air condition broke down probably 6 miles ago.

When we stopped we took a breath of fresh air and stretched our legs. Amaya took Zach's bow and quiver with her as she scouts the area to check for slavers. She comes back to tell us we should be really close since the tracks are fresh. Everyone gets back into the car to drive a bit further. Amaya sits in the front passenger seat to help me navigate where we are going.

"Oh my god" she says.

"What?" asked Gale

"The town is on fire" she said. I punched the gas.

When we reached the town, there wasn't much life left. There were a few people trying to put out the fire and others crying and screaming. Everyone got out of the car and started to ask people what happened. No one was able to talk to us or wouldn't talk to us.

"It's her" someone said. I looked around expecting them to be pointing at Katniss but they were pointing at Amaya.

"It's the witch's daughter" said an old lady. Others begin to gather and stare at Amaya. It begins to worry me.

"Help Us!" someone starts to grovel at Amaya's feet and she starts to panic. Others begin to crowed her and it isn't long before is covered surrounded. Gale and Katniss try to break up the crowed but it doesn't seem to work. The crowed was just too thick. Amaya then crawls out of the crowed and grabs Katniss's hand. All of us run towards the car but Johanna trips over a dead body.

"That's the slaver!" yells Amaya. Gale starts to shoot in the air and all the people stood still.

"Who killed this man?" Yelled Gale but none answered.

"We are looking for the boy. He has hair like mine and blue eyes" Yelled Katniss

"The Mockingjay's son?" said a man.

"Yes" I yelled.

"The men from the city took him, they burned this whole town" yelled a woman.

"You're the Mockingjay aren't you?" said another man pointing at Katniss.

"The witch's daughter and the Mockingjay" Screamed a woman. All of us ran to the car. We weren't welcomed here and the crowed chasing us was proof of that.

"SKIN THEM ALIVE" they yelled. Everyone got in the car safely and I was able to drive fast enough before the crowed caught us. When I couldn't see the town or smoke in my rear view mirror, I stopped.

"What was that?" Gale asked Amaya.

"There's something you're not telling us" said Katniss. Amaya took a deep breath before answering our questions.

"My mom was a talented healer, she grew up in the city and was able to bring technology that wasn't available to people in small towns. Most called her a witch because it seemed like magic. She told me that men from far away came 20 years ago and banished all those who used the technology from the city. They didn't like it and thought that it was evil. So my mom found shelter with my father. When I was 5 years old, my father kicked my mother out and we began to trade items to make a living" She paused and looked at all of us.

"The men found out that my mother was still using the technology a year ago and killed her, I went to live with my father and I was sold off to the slavers. That's all I know, I swear" I looked at Katniss and everyone else.  
>"What do you know of these men Amaya?" Katniss pleaded.<p>

"They hate the Mockingjay and you; they hunted them all so they don't fly in these parts. Not many did but they were nice to see"

"I pray that I'm wrong, but I think these men might be some of Snow's followers" said Gale. All of us nodded and hoped that he was wrong.

"If that's true then we need to get home" Johanna said.

"But Payson" said Katniss

"If the town's people are right, He was probably taken to the city of Keme, there is no access to there by car, only hovercraft and it's constantly guarded. We would need an army just to get into the city" said Amaya.

"What are they going to do to him there?" asked Katniss.

"I-I don't know, but I can tell you that they probably won't kill him"

"Probably?" I said.

"I'm not sure what they will do, but if they have a problem with Katniss then they want to keep him alive" it was my worst fears realized. My only son was kidnapped by people we thought died 20 years ago. Nothing could be worse and it was all my fault. I shouldn't have asked Mike to flirt with Amaya in the shop. I can only guess what Katniss is feeling right now.

"Alright, we'll go home but I want to head to the Capitol and ask for military assistance. I will rather fight in the Games again then leave my son to those monsters" I said.

"The Capitol sounds like a good idea" Gale said. Katniss just zoned out and started crying. Both Gale and Johanna tried to comfort her but it didn't work. All we could do was drive back home. For the first time in a while, I felt defeated.

* * *

><p><strong>Payson POV<strong>

There wasn't much talking in the truck. I just sat still till we got to our destination. It was a large city build on the side of a canyon. It almost matched the color of the rocks. A road suddenly appeared out of nowhere and so did soldiers. The truck stopped and everyone exited the vehicle.

"Colonel Sohan sir, the General wants to see you and the cargo sir" said a soldier. Sohan just nodded and the soldier led us to a hovercraft.

"This is the city of Keme" Colonel Sohan said.

"Why did you blow up all those people?" I asked.

"When you have a sick dog, its best to just… put it out of its misery" he said as he cleaned his sunglasses. He then smiled at me and put them back on.

"Have you seen a storm before chick?"

"My name is Payson, not chick" I growled. He just continues.

"Have you?" he asked again. I nodded and listened.

"It can be cruel, takes away your home but you might live through it to realize that everything else is gone, your wife and kids, your parents, and even your pet. Yet if you survive, you become stronger. So, I do not see why man should not be just as cruel as nature" I didn't follow and I figured he saw my confusion.

"What I did is going to make whoever survives stronger and thus this country stronger. Simple and yet effective" I was disgusted at his logic. How can killing innocent people make others stronger?

"Aren't you worried that they will get to strong?" I asked.

"The one thing about fear is that it needs food to stay going, as long as you give them something to keep the fear strong, it will stay strong"

"What about hope?" I asked.

"Hope?" he laughed. "Hope is for people who don't deserve to live, it's made by people who don't contribute to society and thus should be taken out accordingly" he states. I didn't want to say anything else. He was already pissing me off enough.

"That's why our leader has a firm hand and places people where they belong, elections don't get anything done and are a waste of time. A society needs one strong leader or it will crumble on top of itself" he stated.

"The leader of genius must have the ability to make different opponents appear as if they belonged to one category, so one symbol can be used to control the society's citizens" when we landed I tried to push his words out of my head. They were twisted and wrong; my father told me that a society should hope for a future and not fear it. Government should be directed by all and not the few.

We entered a tunnel with other hovercrafts and a few corridors. The walls were metal and polished. I could almost see myself. We entered a room full of computers and screens with data and numbers and a giant map in the middle of the room.

"General, it's good to see you" Sohan said.

"This must be the boy" the General said with a smile. He had white thin hair and a lot of strips on his uniform. He was cleaned shaved and spoke like he was from the Capitol. I shivered in fear. These men must have worked with Snow before the war and I was probably the catch of the day in their eyes.

"Yes, he looks like his mother doesn't he" Sohan said as he pinched my cheeks. If my hands weren't tied I would slug him right here. I just try to pull away but the General grabs my chin.

"Yes, but his eyes are like his father's. Defiantly a handsome young lad" He said and he let go of my chin. I was then knocked out.

I woke up in a bed with something wrapped around my ankle. It had a red light on the side and no words. I looked around the room to find a TV, dressers, a desk, bookshelves, a window, and a thing of cloths on a chair. I change and then a door opens. It's a woman with food. She places it on the desk and looks at me.

"I was told to assure you that there is no poison in the food and that you are not valuable to the general if you are dead" she says.

"Well that's a relief, and here I thought he would put Nightlock in my juice" I say with heavy sarcasm. She just left without saying a word. I look out the window and saw the sky and other side of the canyon. The sun was high so it must have been around noon.

After eating lunch I decided to try and open the door. It was unlocked to my surprise.

"They're very trusting aren't they" I said to myself. I walk out the hall and explore the area. There are paintings on the wall of different landscapes. Some are of people in funny clothes and others are of giant buildings with stain glass windows. My favorite one has two towers on the side and a round stain glass window between them. The label says _Notre Dame_ but I don't know who painted it.

"I see you like art" I turned to see the woman again.

"Yeah, I like to paint with my father" I say.

"That sounds like fun, are you close to your father?" I nodded and smiled.

The woman had long dark hair and it was really curly. Her eyes were grey and she had a dark tan, probably from the sun. She was a little taller than me and had a very thin frame. However, no one could mistake her for a girl. She had some curves that made her a woman. She seemed sweet but I didn't want to just trust anyone here.

"What's your name?" I asked. She giggled and smiled.

"Ginger, my name is Ginger. I know you, your Payson right?" she asked.

"Yeah, son of the Mockingjay and boy with the bread" I sighed.

"I can get you some paint if you want some, I have some friends willing to share" she said.

"That would be nice but I really hope I don't have to stay here to long" I said.

"Well, with that tracker around your leg, it looks like escape would be foolish. Not to mention the fact you need a hovercraft just to get out of here" she said.

Of course I knew escaping would be almost impossible. I would have to wait to see if my mom and dad can find me and even if they do I'm not sure if they know what they're up against.

"Paints sound great, but I don't see too much to paint around here, I tend to go for trees and flowers, not dirt and canyons" she nodded and then clapped her hands.

"I know just the place" she grabbed my hand and we bolted down the hallway. She ran so fast I thought I was going to trip.

When we did finally stop, I bend over because I thought I was going to see lunch again.

"Is this what you like to paint" I looked up and my breath was taken away. It was a small area with a tree in the middle. It reached to the top of the painted dome ceiling. The ground was covered in grass and flowers of all colors. The hole in the top of the dome let sun light in so everything just glowed.

"This is perfect" I said. I was just in awe of the beauty of what was in front of me. I wasn't sure if I would be able to capture its beauty.

"I'll get the paints and supplies tonight and bring them to you in the morning. Until then the General would like to see you" she said. A perfect moment ruined in just a blink of an eye. At least I have this place to look forward to.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The plot thickens! Please Review! I can't tell if anyone likes my story if you don't and I might not continue... dun dun duuuuhhhh!**


	5. Fruit Juice

**Thanks again guys and girls for reading this :)****. It means a lot!****  
><strong>**I do not own Hunger Games or it's characters I'm just using them to tell a story.  
><strong>

**Peeta's POV**

It's been a week of talking to different people and setting up a good rescue team. Every night the nightmare of Payson being turned into a mutt haunts me. This week has taken a toll on me. I can't even imagine what it has done to Katniss and Amaya.

"We should be almost ready" Gale says. He has grown on me, when Katniss and I got married he was there to be my best man. He also gave a great speech as well. He reminds me every now and then how lucky I am and to not take it for granted.

"Thanks Gale, this means a lot" I say. He lightly punches my arm and we both smiled.

"No problem" he said.

"Are you guys done yet?" Johanna asked. They continued talking about supplies we might need and Amaya's description to the animals we might encounter.

I find Amaya on the roof top. She's curled into a ball and looking outward. She has been distant since we arrived in the Capitol. She eats and then comes here till it's time for bed.

"Mind if I sit here?" she nodded and I sat next to her. I was unsure how to start a conversation since I knew it was going to be one sided.

"Did you know that this is where Katniss and I sat before our first game?" I asked. She shook her head.

"We did, it was the only place where there weren't cameras"

"I'm sorry" she said. I looked at her in confusion.

"For what?"

"For acting the way I did when Mike kissed me, I should have pushed him and ran after Payson, I would have been able to stop him and brought him home" she started to cry and I just pulled her close to me.

"It's my fault, I told Mike to flirt with you" I said in guilt.

"Why?" she asked

"I could tell that Payson liked you so I wanted to push him a bit" I said. The cat is now out of the bag.

"He likes me?" she said. I laughed a bit.

"Yeah, I could tell by the way he would blush. But I forgot how much he is like his mother"

"In what way?" she asked. I looked around just to make sure Katniss wasn't there to hear.

"Well, Katniss as a teen was good at fighting and running, that was all she knew. She didn't know how to talk about emotions or share them with others because she thought it was a weakness and that it would make her vulnerable to others. After she became a mother she began to be more responsible for their sake but Payson" I paused just to find the right words.

"Katniss and Payson don't have a very close relationship; they love each other but don't understand each other. Katniss hunts things but Payson has a problem seeing death. When Katniss took him hunting at about 7 years old, he started to cry when she shot a squirrel" I laughed because it was funny at the time. The look on Katniss's face when she came home thinking she hurt him. I was panicked at the time too but now it's just funny.

"Katniss just can't connect to Payson like she can with Lydia; Lydia also looks a bit like Katniss's younger sister, so I think it's a bit of an unfair advantage"

"Katniss had a sister?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, her name was Primrose, she died during the war, Katniss never forgave herself for it and she did blame Gale for a while but then directed that blame back on herself. When Lydia was born she thought it was a second chance" I sighed.

"What did she think when Payson was born?" she asked.

"She just wanted to protect him; it was only 5 years after the war and two years after we married when he came to life, it took me forever to convince her to have kids, but when we had him Katniss's face just lit up brighter than the sun"

"Peeta!" Yelled Johanna, I turned around and she signaled for us to come in.

We entered a control room and took our seats. Paylor, who was now an adviser, was sitting at the end and Katniss was next to her.

"Alright we are ready to leave here at 2:00 pm to scout the area, let me repeat this, we are scouting the area. We want to know the level of security and what their army is like before we do anything" Paylor said. Everyone nodded in understanding and continued with the meeting.

When it was over we were allowed to return to our rooms. I changed into my pajamas and jumped in bed with Katniss. For some reason she wasn't very talkative to day. Not that she is talkative anyway but she would usually talk to me when we go to bed.

"Do you know what day it is today?" she asked. To tell the truth I never looked.

"No, what day is it sweetheart?" I asked trying to be cute. She uncovered a calendar and showed me. Today is the day before Payson's birthday.

"He's all alone Peeta. He won't be with us on his birthday" I just hugged Katniss until she cried herself to sleep.

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><p><strong>Payson's POV<strong>

Today is my birthday. It's not like it's a big deal but I am now 16. My dad would be making a cake right now and my mom would be hunting a dear for all the guest. Aunt Johanna and Uncle Gale would be bringing Zach and Leo to keep us busy while they decorate the house. Grandma would be telling us stories while Haymitch would be talking to me about being a man. Dad would tell me that Haymitch is wrong and tell me to be myself.

"Payson, it's time for breakfast" Ginger said. I nodded and got out of bed. She gave me clean clothes and left so I could get dressed. The General had me eat breakfast and dinner with him. Lunch was my time to eat by myself. Usually I would go into the small meadow to paint and draw the giant tree. I would have expected a search party by now but the general said that nothing has been seen by the troops. I didn't think about it at first but now I'm starting to question what my family is doing right now.

As Ginger walks me down the now familiar hall, I take in the sights of the canyon. It's weird to feel safe when one is kidnapped but I do. Nothing has been done to me, at least nothing I know of. Ginger is probably my only friend here. She has basically made it her job to care for me and talk to me.

"When breakfast is over, I want to tell you something alright?" she said and I nodded my head.

"Remember, only speak when spoken to and answer questions" she says

I walked into the dining room and saw the General and Sohan. I took my seat and the waiters came in with dishes of lamb and potatos. It looked really good but all the food is always good here. I do miss my dad's cooking and mom's mishaps.

"How is your stay here my boy?" the General asked.

"It's good" I said and following Gingers advice.

"That's good, we wouldn't want you to not like your stay and run away now" said Sohan. The General glared at him and then smiled back at me. Apparently Sohan said something he wasn't supposed to say.

"Why would such a thing come across your mind?" I asked in curiosity.

"Well boy, it seems that some… natives are planning to leave the city. However, the treaty they signed states that unless they are granted to, they cannot leave the city" answers the General.

"A treaty?" I said.

"There was a small battle between us and… the natives. We had the upper hand with our technology and training but they still fought. In the end both sides signed a treaty stating that as long as they adopt our technology and lose theirs then they will live. Some didn't abide by it and ended up dead but most agreed to our rules" Sohan said. I nodded my head in understanding.

"What was their technology?" I asked.

"They used sound frequency to change the chemistry in their fruit, it seems that some berries chemical balance is so fragile that a certain note can change it completely" The General said.

"Usually this would be researched and praised but the natives refused to teach anyone but their own. It seems that the natives have a certain capacity that people like you and I don't have. Mockingjays would be the only other animal able to use the same power because of their ablility to pick up sounds. The people here noticed that and began to sing the tune to pass it to different people who might need the help" Sohan said. Amaya must have come from here or at least around here. The berries she had sounds like the ones that the General is talking about.

"The point is that some people apparently don't like how things are run here" said Sohan with a creepy laugh following it. The General looked at him again and he stopped.

"I just want you to know that there will be consequences if one is caught running away" the General said.

"Well, this ankle bracelet is pretty tight on my leg so I don't think you have to worry about me" I smile. The General nodded but Sohan was still staring at me. I could feel that he was skeptical. I wouldn't even know how to escape. Trust me I would leave in a heartbeat if I knew where to go and how far. Actually I don't care about how far. It's my birthday and I really would rather spend it in the desert then with these people.

Breakfast was soon over and I left to go find Ginger. It wasn't hard since she was in the indoor meadow. I thought about sneaking behind her but I knew from experience that I was no good at that.

"Hey" I said instead.

"Good, you're here" she said in an urgent sense. She looked around and then took my hand. We went to the other side and she reached into her pocket. She had berries and smashed them in her hand and started to sing eerily:

_Let us see what isn't there_

_Let me taste the open air_

_Find freedom once again_

_And find who was once a dear friend_

The berries started to glow and she touched a brick and the wall started to move showing a tunnel. I was startled at first but Ginger took my hand and led me inside. The wall then moved back and it became a solid wall again. Ginger took out a flashlight and started to walk forward. I followed closely because there was nowhere else to go.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Well first we are going to the only person who can take that ankle bracelet off of you, then we will leave the city" her words struck hard. "_…That there will be consequences if one is caught running away_". Those words went through my head.

"How are we going to do that? We don't have food or supplies" I said.

"I can hunt and I have the berries" she said. There was silence between us as we traveled further down the tunnel.

"That's the old technology isn't it?" I asked to break the silence.

"Yes, it has been banned in the city but I still practice it. I was almost killed because of it but I talked the General into letting me and my daughter live. I was sent here to work and my daughter was sent to her father. I was told that I would never see her again but I beg to differ" she said. It was at that moment that I connected all the dots.

"She has your eyes" I said with a smirk.

"What?" Ginger said in confusion.

"I said she has your eyes, I met her before I came here" I said. Ginger turned to me and looked shocked.

"How do you know it's her?" she asked.

"Well, she looks like you and has the ability to use the berries. She also mentioned that she was sent to her father when her mother was killed…" I faded the last part a bit.

"I am dead? That's what they told her?" She said.

"Yeah, her father had to sell her to slavers to make enough money for the rest to eat. I was captured by slavers and we escaped but I got caught again. She's probably with my family right now" I said. Ginger then had a relieved look on her face but then a bit of worry.

"Tell me about your family" she said and we continued to walk. The whole way I explained how my father and mother met and about the war. She listened carfully and didn't ask questions. I tried to make it simple but everything about my parents is complicated.

"I hate to think how my mom is right now without me. She might be the worst at planning parties but she always had one when it was our birthday" I said.

"It's your Birthday?" she asked. I nodded.

"Well, that means we need to get you home, I would hate to miss my own daughter's birthday and I do think your mother would be worried" she said as she hugged me.

We finally enter the back of what looks like a locksmith. The wall becomes whole again when we enter.

"YOKO" yells Ginger. I want to cover her mouth but someone comes into the room. It's an old man with huge glasses that make his eyes look huge. He is short and wobbles when he walks towards us.

"Ginger, it's so nice to see you again" He hugs her and then hugs me. I feel a bit awkward in the whole situation.

"You must be Payson" He said. I nodded and half-heartedly smiled.

"My name is Yoko and I will be in charge of taking that thing off of you" he pointed to the bracelet.

"Great, it's really killing my circulation" I said. He laughed and went to his tool box.

"You remind me a bit of Saffron, doesn't he Ginger?" I looked at her in confusion.

"A bit" she said with a smile. The man pulled out a giant fruit and mushed it all up.

"Now strip boy" he said. My eyes open so wide.

"What?" I said in shock.

"Just down to your underwear Payson" Ginger said. I was creep out but eager to get this thing off, I did as I was told. When I got to my underwear, Yoko threw the fruit juice at me and it started to spread across my body until it was evenly spread. I started to glow and then it moved off of my body, taking the bracelet with it. Then the fruit started to gain skin and an exact replica of me was standing to my left. It was weird and yet awesome at the same time.

"This should give you enough time to leave the city and have a head start" Yoko said. Ginger also had a copy made and told her the schedule she had to follow and I told mine not to start a conversation with the General or Sohan at dinner and to give nothing but a yes or no answer.

"If they ask how I like my stay, say I like it a lot or it's great. Don't say anything more than that" I said. He nodded and they both walk back the way the real Ginger and I came. Yoko led us to another side of the shop and Ginger used the berries again.

I hear the wind through this stone

So let me free for I can alone

Travel the plain and roam

To a place I call home

The wall then opened up and we started another journey. We reach the end and it looks like a mile out of the city. The sun is already a little passed noon. As we started the long journey home I look at Ginger and she looks at me.

"Don't worry, you'll soon be safe and sound" and we start to run, run free.

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><p><strong>I should be starting the next chapter by the middle of today (320/12) so you shouldn't have to wait as long. Oh, and I got the midnight showing tickets XD**  
><strong>Can't wait to see it! Please R&amp;R<strong>


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